Latest Fire Recovery News

Maui nonprofits, Hawaiʻi Community Lending and Lahaina Community Land Trust, joined with the Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Division Financial Institutions to announce a partnership to help Lahaina owner-occupant homeowners prevent foreclosure and support rebuilding efforts.

Kupu, Hawaiʻi’s largest youth-focused conservation and sustainability nonprofit, today announced its Maui relief efforts, EŌ Maui (Emergency Outreach), has nearly 40 paid opportunities available through partnerships with Maui-based organizations. The priority deadline is: July 12, 2024.

Hawaiian Electric is gearing up for a transformative decade on Maui, as the utility company plans to retire 88 megawatts (MW) of its fossil fuel firm generators, or roughly 35% of the firm generator capacity on Maui. This major overhaul is driven by state environmental regulations and difficulties in sourcing parts for aging generators, many of which have become obsolete.

A number of special events marking one year after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires will pay tribute to the 102 victims and the two that remain missing. The events are designed to honor the resiliency of a community that has faced crisis and heartbreaking tragedy, and offer residents opportunities to gather in healing and shared support.

The new County of Maui Office of Recovery-West Maui officially opened Friday with a normal operating schedule of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at Lahaina Gateway Unit 102-B, 325 Keawe St., Lahaina, near Ace Hardware. The center will serve as a centralized hub for essential departments and agencies related to recovery.

SB 2085 creates the Office of the State Fire Marshal within the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to enhance fire safety and prevention across Hawaiʻi. The state fire marshal, appointed for a five-year term, will coordinate statewide fire protection efforts, propose fire code amendments and oversee fire safety training and certification.

Just five households remain sheltered at two hotel sites on Maui as the one-year mark since the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires is just over a month away. The emergency hotel sheltering program managed by the state ended on June 30. 

Habitat for Humanity Maui announced a special Disaster Recovery Fundraiser to be held at the historic Old Lahaina Lūʻau on Aug. 17, 2024. This event aims to raise essential funds to support the rebuilding of Lahaina, which was devastated by the catastrophic wildfires of 2023. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly towards recovery and reconstruction efforts. 

Suspension of service disconnections for all Hawaiian Electric customers on Maui has been extended through at least Aug. 31, 2024, in accordance with the extension of Gov. Josh Green’s emergency proclamation. Maui customers who are financially challenged by the devastating wildfires will not have to worry about potential disconnection of their electric service, according to a company announcement.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources voted unanimously to issue an after-the-fact revocable permit to Nā ʻAikāne o Maui, Inc. (NAOMI) for its Community Resource Center, which was destroyed in the Lahaina wildfires. In its vote on Friday, June 28, the board also voted to change the rent from $40 per month to gratis (free).

Interim housing sites include 450 modular homes under construction at Ka Laʻi Ola in West Maui, and 150 units at Hale ‘O Lā‛ie (formerly the Haggai Institute in Kīhei).

Ke Ola Hou Resiliency Center will be dedicated to providing comprehensive services to aid in the physical, mental and emotional recovery of individuals and families affected by the fires.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery-West Maui will host an open house at its new office at Lahaina Gateway on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, from 5 to 7 p.m. The open house is being held in lieu of the weekly County of Maui Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) Wastewater Reclamation Division today announced its amendments to the sewer service status in Lahaina’s fire-affected areas.

“Lele, or Lahaina, as it has become known, has always been a place of immense historical and cultural importance, serving as the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and the birthplace and home to many aliʻi. As we look to rebuild, it is about grounding this place in the history and heritage from which it came,” said Rep. Tokuda during her testimony. “Designating Lahaina as a National Heritage Area would complement and sustain community-driven efforts being led by lineal descendants and local leaders to preserve Lele’s rich history, tradition, and culture for future generations.” 

Walls are now in place for the first home to be rebuilt in the Lahaina impact zone since the deadly August 2023 wildfires. It’s a visual reminder of the hope that exists among those wanting to return to their beloved neighborhoods, and an encouraging sign of progress as displaced residents work their way through the permitting and construction process.

The Wailuku Hongwanji Mission is hosting a special memorial Japanese tea ceremony to honor wildfire victims.

The latest Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Survey results show that visitors’ experience on Maui among US West and US East travelers have improved since the Aug. 8 wildfires, according to the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. The percentage of visitors to Maui that rated their trip “excellent” was 89.8% from the US East, 86.3% from Europe, 86.2% from the US West, and 85.9% from Canada. Additionally, the percentage of visitors from these markets “very likely” to return to Maui in the next five years remained high: US West (71.5%), Canada (63.0%), and US East (59.0%).

Following the Maui wildfires of August 2023, the University of Hawaiʻi is spearheading projects totaling $2.1 million to address the impacts to air and water quality, public health, ecosystem resilience and community evacuation responses.

A standing-room-only crowd filled the Maui County Council chambers Tuesday morning to hear the start of debate over Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed phase-out of approximately 7,000 transient vacation rental units in apartment-zoned districts.